In addition to being useful containers, tobacco bags were worn as clothing accessories by Plains Indian men. They were carried in the hand, with the body of the bag and the fringe allowed to hang freely. These bags were made from tanned leather, cut and sewn into a rectangular shape with an opening at the top. The decoration, either beaded or quilled, is usually made up of a rectangular or square panel at the bottom of the bag, with additional beadwork in strips or as accents extending up the sides and around the top. The designs frequently differ from one side to the other.

By 1900 bandolier bags were considered mostly decorative, to be brought out on important occasions. Chippewa bags of the early twentieth century, such as this one, are often decorated with beadwork applied directly to the cloth in an overlay stitch rather than being woven on a loom. The large panel is beaded with an asymmetrical floral design on a solid white background. Above the large panel a second area is beaded in floral designs without a background. The strap is fully beaded, again with a floral design on a solid white background. This design includes a wild variety of abstract and stylized leaves attached to vines, with a clear emphasis on asymmetry between the elements on each side of the strap.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection. Collected: Elizabeth Cole Butler

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection. Collected: Elizabeth Cole Butler

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection. Collected: Elizabeth Cole Butler

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection. Collected: Elizabeth Cole Butler

Gift in memory of Isaac M. Bates by his children and grandchildren.

Gift in memory of Isaac M. Bates by his children and grandchildren.

Gift in memory of Isaac M. Bates by his children and grandchildren.

Gift in memory of Isaac M. Bates by his children and grandchildren.